Multifamily and Duplex Properties for Sale in Cloverdale: Zoning and Rent Rules

What multifamily in Cloverdale looks like

Cloverdale’s income property is mostly small: duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes in the R-2 neighborhoods, small apartment complexes in R-3, houses with ADUs, mobile home parks, and newer mixed-use or apartment projects downtown and in the transit-oriented district. As a city, Cloverdale sets its own density, and it also has one of Sonoma County’s mobile home park rent laws, dating to 1986. For two to four units, read financing 2-4 unit properties; for larger buildings, see apartment building loans.

Where the zoning allows it

Chapter 18.04 covers residential districts and Chapter 18.05 the commercial districts that allow housing. Densities are maximums per net acre; final density is set in the approval process and cannot exceed the general plan.

District	Duplex to fourplex	Multifamily	Maximum density	Notes
R-R Rural Residential	Not permitted	Not permitted	0.2 per acre	Hillsides above the 400-foot elevation; 30-acre lots
R-1 Single-Family	By planned unit development	Not permitted	4 per acre	6,000 sq ft interior lots
R-2 Two-Family	By planned unit development	Permitted	8 per acre	Meant for duplexes, triplexes, small lots and low-density rentals
R-3 Multifamily	By use permit	Permitted	16 per acre	10,000 sq ft minimum lot; mobile home parks by use permit
O-R Office/Multifamily	—	Permitted, upper or ground floor	8 to 20 per acre	Near downtown; FAR 0.8
DTC Downtown Commercial	—	Above commercial; ground floor with review	30 per acre	No street-facing ground-floor housing on Cloverdale Blvd or parts of First and Second Streets
TOD Transit-Oriented	—	Permitted, upper or ground floor	20 per acre	Two-story minimum; 150 sq ft common open space per unit
G-C General Commercial	—	Above commercial or ground floor	20 per acre	FAR 1.0

Height. Every residential district shares a limit of 35 feet or two stories, whichever is less, with 14 feet for accessory buildings. Downtown and TOD buildings can reach 40 feet and three stories.

ADUs and JADUs. ADUs (Section 18.09.180) and junior ADUs (Section 18.09.185) are permitted in all four residential districts. See our ADU investment guide.

SB 9 and density bonus. Chapter 18.04 does not mention SB 9, but state law applies in single-family zones such as R-1. Chapter 18.13 covers inclusionary housing and density bonuses. See our SB 9 lot split guide.

Rent rules: state cap plus mobile home park rent review

Apartments and houses. The Attorney General’s rent cap page, updated July 16, 2026, does not name Sonoma County in a regional group, so covered units fall under All Other Counties: up to 8.6% for increases from August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027. Cloverdale does not appear on the AG’s chart of local apartment rent ordinances, and its code has no apartment rent or just cause chapter, so state just cause and relocation rules govern covered tenancies. See our AB 1482 guide and just cause eviction guide.

Mobile home parks. Chapter 5.36, Ordinance 410-86, regulates space rents:

Coverage. Parks with five or more rental spaces must register with the city clerk.
Base rent. The base is the rent in effect on January 1, 1986, as adjusted since.
Rent board. A three-member Mobile Home Park Rent Review Board, appointed by the council, hears petitions; members cannot be park owners, managers or tenants. The council may review decisions within 30 days.
Frequency. No adjustment more than once in any 12 months. The chapter sets no fixed percentage; the board weighs factors including the local CPI, capital improvements and existing leases.
Sales. A tenant’s sale of a home does not justify a rent increase, though the owner may charge a one-time fee of up to 10% of monthly rent, and a sale of the park alone does not justify one either.

Cloverdale rental property rules

Short-term rentals. Hosted vacation rentals and B&Bs are allowed in O-R with plot plan review, and non-hosted vacation rentals need a use permit downtown. Stays under 30 days owe the city’s transient occupancy tax, codified at 10% in Chapter 3.44; confirm the current rate.
Transfer tax. The County Recorder lists Cloverdale as paying only the County’s $0.55 per $500, less assumed loans.
No registration program. We found no Cloverdale rental registration or inspection chapter in the code index; state habitability and fair housing law apply.

Utilities, fees and building issues

City water and sewer. Cloverdale runs its own water and sewer systems under Title 13, and Title 17A charges water and wastewater capacity fees, a fire district impact fee, park and traffic fees on new units. Price those fees before planning added units.

Older buildings. Older wood-frame apartments should be reviewed for seismic retrofit needs, and buildings of three or more units with elevated balconies or walkways need SB 721 balcony inspections.

Flood. The city has a floodplain chapter (15.20); check flood zones near the Russian River and creeks.

Underwriting a Cloverdale multifamily purchase

Check the unit count against the district’s maximum density; older buildings may be legal nonconforming.
Classify units under AB 1482 and model covered increases at or below 8.6%.
For a mobile home park, confirm registration, the rent history since 1986 and any board decisions.
Price water, wastewater and impact fees for any added units.
Collect leases, the rent roll and estoppel certificates.
Rebuild expenses with reassessed taxes and utilities in our rental property analysis.

Questions people ask

Is there rent control in Cloverdale?

Only for mobile home park spaces, under Chapter 5.36. Apartments and houses follow AB 1482, at up to 8.6% from August 1, 2026 for covered units.

How many units can I build on an R-3 lot?

Up to 16 units per net acre, on a lot of at least 10,000 square feet, subject to the general plan and approvals.

Can I build a fourplex in R-2?

Duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes count as single-family attached housing, which needs a planned unit development permit in R-2, while multifamily is permitted at up to 8 units per acre.

Are ADUs allowed?

Yes. ADUs and JADUs are permitted in all residential districts.

Can a mobile home park owner raise rent when a home sells?

Not because of the sale, though a one-time fee of up to 10% of monthly rent is allowed.

Is there a city transfer tax?

No added city tax; only the County’s $0.55 per $500.

What density is allowed downtown?

30 units per net acre in DTC, and 20 in TOD.

Sources & notes

Note: The online code is current through Ordinance 754-2024 (April 10, 2024). We did not read Chapters 15.20, 15.28, 18.09 or 18.13, or Title 17A fee amounts. The description of local housing types is a general observation. For countywide context, see our Sonoma County multifamily guide and Sonoma County commercial guide.

General information, not legal or tax advice. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.

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